Unlike the wild, wet, windy Monday, Tuesday 09 April dawned cooler and dry, perfect for eighteen participants to walk around the Garden. Initially the birds were easy to see and identify but became less visible as the weather warmed.
We were lucky to see forty different species, including four raptors, Common Buzzard, Black Sparrowhawk, African Goshawk and European Honey Buzzard. Also prominent were two Spotted Eagle-Owls and a Cape Grassbird.
The sunbirds were well represented by Malachite, Orange-breasted, Amethyst and Southern Double-collared Sunbirds. We ticked Cape and Forest Canaries, but missed out on a Brimstone Canary.
The numbers were made up by the presence of the usual suspects, as listed in the attached bird list.
A visit to Vidae Café proved to be the perfect ending to a very pleasant morning in the Garden.
The Birdlasser list as follows was by Jacque Smit;
Common Waxbill
Swee Waxbill
Egyptian Goose
African Paradise Flycatcher
Bar-throated Apalis
European Honey Buzzard
Common Buzzard
Cape Sugarbird
Ring-necked Dove
Cape Grassbird
Spotted Eagle-Owl
African Olive Pigeon
Cape Spurfowl
Southern Boubou
Cape Batis
Southern Fiscal
Fork-tailed Drongo
Red-winged Starling
African Goshawk
White-necked Raven
Black Sparrowhawk
Orange-breasted Sunbird
Malachite Sunbird
Bronze Mannikin
Speckled Mousebird
Forest Canary
Karoo Prinia
Amethyst Sunbird
Cape Canary
Pied Crow
Cape Robin-Chat
Red-eyed Dove
Olive Thrush
Helmeted Guineafowl
Hadada Ibis
Sombre Greenbul
African Dusky Flycatcher
Southern Double-collared Sunbird
Cape Bulbul
Cape White-eye.
Photographs by Dennis Laidler, Otto Schmidt, Penny Dichmont and Linda Hibbin.
Report by Daryl de Beer.
